FRANCIS WILLUGHBY. 
101 
writings are concerned, in preparing his observa- 
tions on birds, which made its first appearance in 
the year 1675, in Latin, in which language Mr 
Willughby had written it, as he did all his other 
manuscripts, it being at that time the catholic 
language of the literati of Europe. 
It was published, in the first instance, as simply 
a treatise on ornithology, without those extraneous 
accompaniments which, as will bo shewn, are 
entirely to be ascribed to Mr Ray’s selection. 
It had the following title : — 
Francisci Willoughbeii de Middleton armigeri 
e Reg: Soc: oruithologise Libri tres, in quibus 
aves omnes hactenus cognitae, in Methodum 
naturis suis, convenientem redact®, accurate des- 
cribuntur: deseriptioncs iconibus elegantissimis 
et vivarum avium simillimis ®re incisis illus- 
trantur. Totum opus recognovit, digessit, sup- 
plevit Joh. Raius. 
It is now the place to give an account 
of this celebrated book. Dr Derham relates,* 
that when he “ waited upon Mr Ray at 
Black-Notley, his native place, and whither he 
had retired to end his days, May the 15th, 1704, 
Mr Ray told him, that himself and Mr Wil- 
lughby, finding the history of nature very im- 
perfect, had agreed between themselves, before 
their travels beyond sea, to reduce the several 
tribes of things to a method, and to give accurate 
descriptions of the several species from a strict 
view of them ; and forasmuch as Mr Willughby ’s 
* Derham’s Life of Ray, p. 48. 
